This invention relates to a method and system for reminding, controlling and documenting the taking of prescribed medication which is particularly useful for the elderly as well as the physically and/or mentally impaired patient.
Medical advances and a variety of factors are leading to ever increasing life expectancy. However, increasing age and larger elderly populations sometimes tax medical facilities resulting in limiting the medical stay in such facilities. The result is that many people are discharged from full care facilities before they are completely able to take care of themselves. Some of this premature discharge may be attributed to the diagnostic-related-groups (DRG) system. Many such patients as well as other physically or mentally impaired patients are required to take medication and in many cases, multiple medications in order to survive. Without help, the reading of labels and the taking of medication becomes a particular problem for the elderly and/or physically or mentally impaired patients. In many instances, life itself may depend on the proper taking and regulation of prescribed medication. With patients taking as many as three, four or more prescriptions per day, it is a difficult task even for a well adjusted patient to take his medication at the proper times and to insure that the medication which has been prescribed has been taken without making errors with respect to the type or amount of medication which has been prescribed.